Hymn of the Beasts
by Point of Departure
Summary: /SasuSaku AU/ Sakura was once an ordinary girl. Until that one rainy night she met Sasuke Uchiha; a boy who had arrived with scorch marks across his hands and arms, and an unnatural warmth emitting from him- despite the way his icy eyes looked at her...


_**A/N (top):**_

Title: _Hymn of the Beasts  
_Genre: _Mystery/Romance/Supernatural  
_General: _SasuSaku AU  
_Summary:  
_Sakura was once an ordinary girl. Until the one rainy night that she met Sasuke Uchiha; a boy who had arrived with scorch marks across his hands and arms, and an unnatural warmth emitting from him- despite the way his icy eyes looked at her… Like she was a code waiting to be cracked.  
_Rated: _T, possibly M later on._

_**Disclaimer:**_** Do I need to double check?**

Anyways, enjoy the first chapter! I got really lazy at some parts, but please, bear with me! :)

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**~ Hymn of the Beasts ~  
**Act I:  
_The Boy In Blue  
_Written by: ApplzrGud4u  
© Puddle Productions

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Rain pelted the pane lightly, drawing mini rivers over the clear glass and causing the world outside to blur. Sakura was sitting in the window-seat, surrounded by the dark green and blue pillows she stole from the living room couches, doodling in a purple notebook her mother had given her a few days ago. She filled one page before leaning the side of her head against the glass, resting the book down on one cushion. There was never anything to do on rainy days, especially rainy Fridays. Usually, Sakura enjoyed a short, light drizzle; however, this rainstorm had been going on for the past few hours. As a nine year old, clad in a scratchy old sweater, who couldn't sit still for long, she was about to start ripping her hair out.

The warm fireplace of the living room crackled loudly, calling Sakura's attention briefly. The sound was drowned out by the baseball game her father was watching on flat screen television above the mantel. Looking at the invitingly warm recliner near the fire, Sakura stretched her soar back and jumped down. Almost forgetting her notebook, she turned to grasp for it. Her small arms didn't reach, so she hopped back onto the seat with an aggravated sigh. A piece of soft pink hair fell into her eyes, and she lifted her head, blowing the piece away before thinking once more of the notebook. However, there was something outside that caught her eye, through the cascade of drizzle hugging the window; she saw a burning light. It was a dim thing that wavered a bit, having a few red flashes next to it, somewhere in the distance on the Uchiha Estate hill. Sakura tilted her head to the side and squinted, hoping that somehow she would decipher what it was.

"Daddy?" She called, still staring out the window.

"Hmm?" Came the reply.

"There's a strange light outside," Sakura mused, touching a finger to her chin, "It's blurry."

"Sweetie, it's probably a streetlamp. They get lit when the sun sets."

The pink haired girl chuckled, "I know that! But it's not on the street. It's on the hill."

"People live in the Uchiha Estate, Sakura," Her father shrugged, adding, in a happier tone, "Come sit with daddy! When was the last time you and I bonded?"

"But—," Sakura blurted, puffing her cheeks out, "The light…"

She hated when her parents would change the subject when they weren't in the mood to talk about something…

Just then her mother popped her head around the kitchen corner, opening her mouth to say something, though a knock at the door made close it. She walked over and tugged the door ajar, letting in the sound of a new, heavier rain. Two officers stepped in— quite rudely—, and looked around. Sakura's father turned, slightly wide eyed. The two authorities continued to scan the room until they at last fell on Sakura's concerned mother.

"Can I help you?" She said, her hands tightening around the doorframe of the kitchen.

"We would like to speak with both of you," One said roughly.

"Please follow us," The other added, pointing towards the Uchiha Estate, "The walk isn't far, but there is something you need to see atop that hill."

Sakura's parents glanced at each other cagily, her father turning off the television and rising to walk towards the other adults. He nodded, and they all proceeded into the rain. Sakura's mother gazed back at her daughter with soft eyes. "Stay here, honey," She said, and the door closed, making everything become silent— save for the faint sound of the rain and the crackling fireplace. The little pink haired girl simply stared at the space surrounding her for a minute. Almost like a puppy, she scrambled to look outside, pressing her forehead against the glass.

She couldn't see a thing.

Sighing with disenchantment, Sakura jumped and ran to the door, cracking it open. The heavy rain pummeled the ground, and Sakura could feel the tiny droplets that ricocheted off the ground and hit her bare feet. The Uchiha Estate house wasn't easy to see from her front door— a tall brick wall covered in foliage and vines raised high in the sky. Passed the wall was an immense amount of land, trees, and utter darkness. Sakura could only catch a glimpse of part of the mansion above the brick and through the plant life. It was a boxy figure standing against the dark blue sky— The lights were off, even the ones usually lining the entrance road.

The window seat provided a better view, no doubt.

From what she _knew_, the mansion was huge. And although she couldn't see much from there, when her mother would drive her in and out of town they practically swerved around the whole lot, seeing just how rich the family was. Apparently her parents where great friends with the Uchiha. Sakura doubted that. _She_ had never met any of them— aside from seeing the youngest boy in school.

Sakura's neighborhood was located in a fairly forest-y area; tall, husky trees towering over and making the place look creepy after sunset, like some horror movie where the mass murderer chases poor little girls down abandoned streets. The Uchiha house looked the scariest at night, in Sakura's opinion, with that snake like road that sort of disappeared and reappeared behind the foreboding tree trunks. It was especially eerie with a full moon.

The gothic style of architecture didn't quite help much in easing the theories Sakura had created up while staring at the house through her bedroom window. She shuttered at the thought.

A flash of white light ignited the sky briefly, making Sakura jump in the doorway. Lightning always made things look worse…

Slowly, Sakura stepped into the rain and began walking along the cement sidewalk leading from her front door. She had her arms folded across her torso, hands grabbing onto her elbows, as she stiffly sauntered across the street. The Uchiha Estate entrance— and sinister looking iron-wrought gate— wasn't far of a walk. Half a block away and Sakura was standing in front of it.

There was another flash of lightning followed by a long, echoing, thunder about ten seconds after. Sakura froze at the frightening sight of the gate being illuminated by the flare. She promptly swallowed back a whimper and walked to it, gripping the bars until her knuckles turned white.

The wind kicked up, blowing the nearest tree on the other side to make some red and orange leaves fly off, a few of them smacking wet against Sakura. Her feet stung with the cool rain and wind, and her hands were equally as pained wrapped around the freezing metal. She shut her eyes as the blustery weather continued, whipping her short pink locks around until they finally settled, stuck against her neck like glue.

Sakura finally split her eyelids open, ignoring how the breeze made her want to blink ten times at once, and strained to see _s_omething in the obscurity. She frowned at what she saw. A large tree along the road was blocking her view of the house. Sakura bit her lip and leaned forward a bit, thinking that perhaps she could fit her small head through the gap and crane her neck around to see the house.

A menacing creak came from the gate, and Sakura felt her body's weight shift to her front, nearly causing her to fall over.

The gate was unlocked… And thus was pushed open by her leaning.

Sakura swallowed, her usual childlike curiosity squashed with the sight of a dark, asphalt road surrounded by rustling trees and bushes. And who knew what lurked in the shadows there, let alone what was up at the Estate. Gathering her strength and washing fears from her mind, Sakura lightly jogged up the inclined, swerved, road, her tiny bare feet painfully slapping the ground with each step. After getting passed the first tree, she halted, gazing up the grassy mount. She wasn't surprised to see more trees scattered across the property, some impeding a full view of the mansion. Though, Sakura didn't expect to spot an orange-like glow emitting though the gap in the trees, where part of the house was supposed to lay. She squinted, pressing her lips into a line.

Fire.

A gasped escaped the girl's lips, eyes now seeing the faint trail of black smoke against the cloudy and wet sky. Sakura began jogging again; ignoring the way the thunder and lightning made her shake, and never losing sight of the estate. As she moved, the trees revealed another set of lights. Though she quickly recognized the three fire trucks positioned messily here and there, dousing the rest of the flames with a hose.

Huffing, the pink haired girl just kept on running.

Eventually, Sakura reached the top, deciding to stay far from the action. And heat— she could feel the blaze, even though there was a whole front yard and fountain in between it and her. Absently, she welcomed the change in temperature. The cool rain may still have been soaking her, but it was like an equalizer to the heat. Part of her was frightened by the sight, though, even so… Sakura couldn't help but feel saddened by the catastrophe that gave her this new warmth and fear. She was not so naïve to disregard the fact that the Estate was burning to the ground— rather sluggishly, might she add. Frankly, Sakura couldn't quite process her childish thoughts on the matter, and let alone _why_ she was sad. She had never met the family personally, so it shouldn't have mattered.

Sakura frowned, her eyes trailing to an ambulance truck and a few police cars where she spotted her parents talking with one of the authorities. The medics closed the truck's back doors and started up the engine. Assuming that it was going to go back down the hill soon, Sakura turned and sprinted towards her house at the bottom of the mount.

Leaving the warmth of the fire wasn't exactly a cup of tea; however, the adrenaline gave a tiny boost to help her forget how badly her skin stung from the cold.

Mutter a small prayer under her breathe after discovering that she had left the front door open, Sakura quickly rushed in, shutting the entrance swiftly. She felt safer— and not to mention cozier— under the roof of her home. Nearly slipping on the hardwood floor of her house, Sakura scrambled to the window seat, kneeling by the pane and pressing her face against it— a new habit of hers. She couldn't make out anything through the thick wall of water sliding down. It was frustrating. The only object that was visible was that faint glow, and Sakura had discovered that that was a fire.

She slumped against the wall and pouted. Why was there a fire on the Uchiha Estate? She wanted to know, though chickened out at even the slightest thought of being caught up there… especially against her mother's orders. And why were her parents there, anyway? As told before, her parents were close friends of the Uchiha… Where were the Uchihas? Sakura hadn't seen them up there. Were they even home when the fire started? How did the fire start?

All these questions swam in her curious head, causing a groan to escape her lips.

Sakura couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something seemed off.

Pulling at the strands of hair stuck to her neck, she reached for her purple notebook. It was in the same spot it was before this whole adventure had started. She flipped through the pages, her fingers wetting the edges until they looked wrinkly— much to her dismay.

There was an old— as in yesterday— sketch of the Uchiha Estate near the beginning. She had shown it to her mother the minute after completing the amateur drawing. The older women, in response, grinned and asked what it was. Sakura had explained what it was, slightly hurt. Wasn't it obvious? It looked exactly like the Estate! Sure, the hill may have been too pointy, and the house may have been a box and a triangle, but wasn't it clear that the circle behind it was a full moon?

Sakura scoffed inwardly, unhooking the pen from the notebook's binding and beginning another doodle— one of a fresh batch of cookies she was dying to have at the moment— pushing her curiosity to the back of her mind and let her childish short attention span take the better of her.

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When the door was quickly yanked open, Sakura dropped her book with a start, gazing over to the entrance. Her mother walked in, gently ushering a boy in a blue blanket forward, whispering softly to him. Almost instantly, Sakura was in front of the two, opening her mouth to question.

"Sakura," her mother said before Sakura had a chance, "This is Sasuke Uchiha. He's going to be staying here the night. Make sure he's warm, and make sure he stays inside."

Sakura tilted her head, eying the boy, and then eying her mother. She opened her mouth again as her mother began to turn toward the door.

"But, Mum, why—"

"—Did you go outside?" He mother quizzed after doing a double take on Sakura's condition; wet tousled hair, watery trails on the floor, and soaked clothes. Her daughter swallowed noticeably, green eyes widening, "What did I tell you?"

"I— Um, no— Mum. I—"

Her mother glared, stating, "Sakura, you are have leaves all over your legs."

"Well, you see—"

Mrs. Haruno glared, pressing her lips in a line and putting her hands on her hips. She gave a short, less severe glance at Sasuke, her tense shoulders relaxing.

"We'll deal with this later," She sighed, narrowing her eyes at Sakura before gyrating to the open door. She gazed over her shoulder with saddening eyes, "Just make sure Sasuke is comfortable. Your father and I will be back soon."

The door unceremoniously slammed.

Sasuke, who was clutching the blue blanket draped over his shoulders, had his head hanging, eyes halfway open.

"So, um, I'm Sakura," Sakura introduced, glancing around awkwardly. Sasuke seemed to pay no mind, simply staring at the hardwood floors tiredly. After thirty seconds of silence, Sakura placed a hand on his shoulder, slightly tugging him toward the couches, "Come. You can sit by the fire and warm up."

The boy didn't verbally respond, though Sakura took his following her as an agreement, or perhaps a thank you. Both children sat down; Sasuke on the feather couch, and Sakura on the floor on the other side of the coffee table, back towards the fire. She stared at him, and he stared at the floor.

"Would you like some water?" Sakura asked. The boy shook his head lightly.

"Something to eat?"

His head shook again.

"Um, another blanket?"

Same response. With a defeated exhale, Sakura ran a hand through her damp locks, leaning back on her palms and raising both brows at Sasuke. Her mother had always taught her to be courteous to guests; to ask them if they wanted food, water, and any other means off comfort for feeling welcome. But Sakura was out of courteous questions. Even the small talk questions that her mother had often used to eat up the silence when guests were over. All Sakura could really think about was why the boy was here. She knew it probably wasn't right to ask, but she was never really good with leveling pros and cons at nine years old.

"Are you okay?" She finally inquired.

That was when Sasuke looked up. He wasn't completely in reality, and for a second Sakura didn't know if he heard the question or not. His onyx eyes drilled into her grassy ones, and his lips parted faintly. Sakura didn't know why, but he seemed puzzled. Perhaps he _didn_'t hear Sakura.

"I mean," Sakura corrected, looking away from his gaze, "What happened?"

"Can I have some water?" Came a murmur. His voice was raspy and quiet, and his grip on the blanket tightening.

The sudden question ruined Sakura's train of thought, causing her to furrow her eyebrows and frown. She must have looked mental, she thought as his question sunk in.

"Of course," She uttered with the shake of her head, leaving and returning with a medium glass of water. She placed it on the coffee table, revisiting her spot on the floor. Sasuke frowned, shrugging the quilt off of his shoulders. Sakura mirrored the façade, perplexed.

When the blanket was completely off two bandaged hands appeared, gripping the glass with some difficulty. Sasuke flinched at the pressure.

Meanwhile, a new question bubbled into Sakura's brain.

"What happened to your hands?"

Sasuke halted mid sip, eye trailing resignedly to the only other person in the room. He placed the cup down, examining his palms with another deep frown.

"Burns."

The whispered words made Sakura instantly stiffen. She regretted asking, because, although she was only a nine year old, her mind was mature enough to figure out that Sasuke Uchiha had indeed been in the Estate fire. And by the way he seemed to glare at her afterwards; he didn't want to talk about it.

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_To be continued…_

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**An apple for your thoughts?**

Review?

_**A/N (bottom):**_ Woot! I'm excited about this story! I have a lot of plans for it! And in case you all were wondering, the Supernatural and Romance comes in later ;).

Okay, so I truthfully, sincerely apologize for not updating The Fame, Blatantly Chained, A Series of Special Occasions, and Sunlight and Shadows. Really, I am so sorry! I've been busy, and it's only going to get worse from here. On the upside, I have almost finished the new chapters for The Fame, Blatantly Chained, and A Series of Special Occasions. Plus a have a bunch of new ideas! I also have a new story idea, though I have PROMISED myself to finish all the rest before starting it.

_Update order:_

Sunlight and Shadows  
The Fame  
Blatantly Chained  
A Series of Special Occasions

I hope I get to it quickly…

Any questions? REVIEW!

**BUT first, I have a few questions!:  
****  
****1] - Did you enjoy it?  
****2] - Please let me know if you followed along with the description, or if it was just too long and had too much effort put into it.  
****3] - Was it boring?  
****4] - Errors? Things you didn't quite understand?**

**Here are some hopefully helpful answers:**

**1] - Sasuke is the same age as Sakura.  
****2] - No I will not tell you how the fire started or what happened! Gah! Lol, you have to wait for the other chapters.  
****3] - Yes, other characters appear. It's not JUST SasuSaku, though mainly, yes.  
****4] - NO, this is not a vampire or a werewolf fic :( I'm sorry if you are disappointed.  
****5] - Sakura is NINE.  
****6] - It is around October in this chapter.  
****7] - The Uchiha Estate is on a hill, and the road swerves up it because it is too steep to have a road that goes directly up. The swerves are like roads in the side of a mountain, though less prominent.  
********8] - LOLOLOL Look to the left, it makes a smiley face!**  
**9] - It IS thundering and lightning while this is all going on. Though it didn't start until Sakura left her home.  
****10] - Sakura DID leave the Estate Gate open while she returned home.  
****11] - From the window seat, Sakura gets more elevation, and can see more of the house. Though there still are a lot of trees blocking it.  
****12] - Sakura is not COVERED in leaves when they hit her, but she has some on her, along with dirt.  
****13] - The Romance and Supernatural stuff comes LATER :) As in, next chapter (well the Supernatural, at least)  
****14] - YES, there WILL be romance, and be patient for it. It's not just like, POOF, "I LOVE YOU SAKURA", for Sasuke. We have all been acquainted with that infamous stick. The one up his ass.  
****15] - I kinda like writing this… I should stop though.  
****16] - Next update will be who knows when.  
****17] - I will post a preview of the next chapter whenever I can on my profile. Which you should, by the way, check out.  
****18] - PLEASE CHECK OUT MY POLE!  
****19] - And also my other stories!**

On a side note: this chapter was going to be longer, but I needed to end it so that the time skip was in order and all that junk ;). Plus, it would have been a freakishly long chapter otherwise.

ALSO:

I did NOT forget Sasuke's birthday five days ago! Claps for me! I was planning on posting another chapter for A Series of Special Occasions since the first chapter of that is dedicated to his birthday, but I failed. I even planned to finish it ahead of time. Afterwards, I was considering just making a new HAPPY BIRTHDAY dedicated story, though that seemed long. Moving on: I told everyone in my family of the special day (though those haters didn't care). I also tried to be a little subtle about it, because my brother already knows I think Sasuke is hot, but I didn't want my dad to know. O_o I'm pretty old for him to still freak over me thinking about guys AT ALL, but he does anyways.

**Okay, a short story from my life:**

Here I am sitting in the living room, watching the latest Harry Potter movie. All of a sudden my dad said, "I don't know what Hermione sees in Ron. Harry is much better looking." I, being the Rupert Grint fan, disagreed totally. So I said, "I think Ron looks better."  
"OH! SO YOU LIKE THAT KIND OF GUY?" He roared with a slight joking tone. Though I paled anyways.  
"What are you talking about?"  
"I see, I see." He said to himself, bringing me on the defensive. At first I thought he referring to the fact that Ron was a ginger, but then I thought my dad was thinking very perverted-ly.  
"What? All I said was that Ron looks better than Harry!"  
Without warning he reached over to me and slapped my leg, rather hard. ("Ow!")  
"I don't want you thinking about boys that way!" He scolded. He CLEARLY was thinking pervertedly.  
"Wha—? I'm confused! _All I said _was that _Ron looks better than Harry_!"  
He glared at me.  
"I still don't understand what your problem is…" I mumbled, wide eyes looking at him warily while I rubbed my injured leg.

Ahh, horrible memories… They stab my brain. But seriously, WHAT WAS HIS PROBLEM? Does anyone else find it hard to even MENTION boys around their dads? My dad jokes with me about the subject a lot, especially when I go out. He says, "No boys, right?" and I reply in that _oh-my-God-I'm-teenager_ way, "Of course not, _Dad_." Though, being a teenager there is always going to be boys. No. Matter. What. Frankly, my dad doesn't even know I have boys for friends. I go to the movies with them, but I tell my dad only of the girls that are going. He'll go on that Daddy Defensive and say he wants to meet the boys if I told him. He's done it once. Twice. Many times. He's even asked about a boy standing next to me while I waited to cross the street. Mind you, I didn't KNOW the dude!

Anyways, enough about my problems.

Applez out! :D


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